National University of Singapore

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

List of ESE Post-Grad Modules offered in Academic Year 2015/2016

Module Module Title MC Semester Brief Description

Code
ESE5001 Environmental Engineering Principles
ESE5001 Environmental 4 I & II Modular Credits: 4
Engineering Principles
Workload: 3-0-0-4-3
Pre-requisite: Graduate student standing

This module covers a wide range of topics including physical,

chemical and biological principles in Environmental Science &
Engineering and qualitative & quantitative analysis of
environmental problems.

Concepts of contaminant cycling through air, water and soil

systems, air and water chemistry, transport & transformation
models for contaminants, and physical, chemical and biological
treatment processes are also included.

Students will learn the essential principles used in Environmental

Engineering and understand important issues.

ESE5002 Physical and Process Principles

ESE5002 Physical and Process 4 I Modular Credits: 4
Principles
Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): EVE4 standing
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This module introduces students to the fundamentals of process

and physical principles in environmental engineering and discusses
how these principles can be used in the analysis and modelling of
environmental engineering processes.

The contents will include material balances, mass transfer, reaction

rate and kinetics, typical ideal and non-ideal reactors as well as
tracer study.

The course prepares the student in understanding why physical

processes are expected to function in certain ways.

ESE5003 Environmental Chemical Principles

ESE5003 Environmental Chemical 4 II Modular Credits: 4
Principles
Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): EVE4 standing
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This module is designed to equip post-graduate students with

fundamental principles of chemical equilibria and environmental
organic chemistry with emphasis on chemical speciation in both
natural and engineered systems.

It begins with an overview of historical and industrialized water

pollution issues. Topics include chemical background, properties of
soils, chemical equilibrium and thermodynamics, acid/base
reaction, CO2 system, coordination chemistry, metal-ligand
interaction, precipitation, adsorption, ion exchange, colloid, and
organic geochemistry. MINEQL, chemical equilibrium software, will
be taught in this module.

Upon the completion, students will be better equipped to

quantitatively understand and solve various environmental
problems.
Module Module Title MC Semester Brief Description
Code
ESE5203 AEROSOL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ESE5203 Aerosol Science and 4 II Modular Credits: 4
Technology
Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): CE2134 (Hydraulics) or equivalent courses
involving introductory level of fluid mechanics
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Aerosol science deals with the behaviour of very fine particles in

fluid media which finds many areas such as biosolid management,
air pollution control, ultra-cleaning manufacturing technology, and
advanced materials. In this module, the basic principles of aerosol
science and the corresponding industrial applications will be
covered.

Topics include physics of aerosols, size distributions, mechanics

and transport of particles, aerosol dynamics, nanoparticle
synthesis, combustion aerosols, and pharmaceutical aerosols.

ESE5204 Toxic and Hazardous Waste Management

ESE5204 Toxic and Hazardous 4 Tentative Modular Credits: 4
Waste Management Sem II Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course introduces the advanced concepts of toxic and

hazardous waste management issues. Major issues are
quantification and characterisation, toxicity, impact on human
health, state-of-the-art reduction technologies and ultimate
disposal.

This course will expose students to the risks faced by urban

environmental ecosystems and human beings exposed to toxic and
hazardous wastes generated through various human activities and
the selection of treatment and disposal facilities, their design,
construction, operation and maintenance principles.

ESE5205 Sludge and Solid Waste Management

ESE5205 Sludge and Solid Waste 4 II Modular Credits: 4
Management
Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course introduces the advanced concept of sludge and solid

waste management. It covers collection, quantification,
characterisation, processing, treatment, disposal and resource
recovery in relation to sludge and solid waste. It will equip students
with in-depth knowledge on principles of various treatment and
disposal facilities along with engineering, institutional, legal and
financial infrastructures

ESE5301 Environmental Biological Principles

ESE5301 Environmental Biological 4 I Modular Credits: 4
Principles
Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): EVE4 standing Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This module provides students with a strong foundation in

biological principles for environmental engineering, with primary
focus on natural biological processes. After an overview of
biological principles and classification, the module reviews
metabolic adaptations to various natural environments, including
extreme habitats.

Aspects of genetic adaptation and tolerance to environmental

contamination are covered, together with the manipulation of
biological processes to degrade and stabilise contaminants.
Module Module Title MC Semester Brief Description
Code

Emphasis is placed on biodegradation of organic pollutants and

their bioremediation. Aspects of organic waste stabilisation and
remediation of inorganic wastes are included.

Lastly, the use of macrophytes for phytoremediation of

contaminated soils is examined.

ESE5401 Water Quality Management

ESE5401 Water Quality 4 II Modular Credits: 4
Management
Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): Water Science & Technology or ESE4 standing or
higher
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This module introduces students to the fundamental principles of

environmental modeling, i.e. mass balance, reaction kinetics and
transfer mechanisms. Mathematical models are used to deal with
water quality problems in natural and man-made systems. These
include eutrophication, dissolved oxygen imbalance, the fate and
transport of contaminants, and treatment system capacity planning.

The module will enable students to appreciate the problems

associated with water quality and provide them with the basic skills
to predict impacts associated with the pollution of the environment.
In this way, students can assess the feasibility of projects which
are potential sources of contaminants to the environment.

ESE5405 Water Treatment Processes

ESE5405 Water Treatment 4 II Modular Credits: 4
Processes
Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): EVE4 standing or higher
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This module introduces the fundamental principles of water

treatment processes. Students will be able to understand water
treatment in relation to chemical equilibrium and kinetics, unit
processes and their integration. The applications of these
fundamental principles for formulating design and operation for
water treatment systems will also be addressed.

This course will facilitate students to acquire in-depth knowledge of

water treatment systems.

ESE5407 Membrane Technology for Water Management

ESE5407 Membrane Technology for 4 I Modular Credits: 4
Water Management
Workload: 3-0-0-4-3
Prerequisite(s): ESE4403 Membrane Technology in Environmental
Application or ESE5406 Membrane Treatment Processes and
Modeling or Level 5 standing
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Membrane technology has been widely adopted for water

reclamation and seawater desalination. It shall continue to be a key
technology for resolving the problem of water scarcity in the near
future.

This module shall focus on the design and operational

consideration of membrane processes for water reclamation and
seawater desalination.

Topics covered in this module include water quality standards

relevant to reclaimed and desalinated water, filtrate quality
consideration, membrane filtration system, design and operation of
MF/UF filtration system, membrane bioreactor, nanofiltration and
reverse osmosis system, examples of commercial plants and
Module Module Title MC Semester Brief Description
Code
economics of membrane system.
ESE5601 Environmental Risk Assessment
ESE5601 Environmental Risk 4 II Modular Credits: 4
Assessment
Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): EVE4 standing
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The objective of this module is to examine the fundamental

principles governing toxic contaminant exposure and risk to
humans and ecosystems.

The course will cover necessary aspects of probability and

statistics, physical and chemical behaviour of key priority
pollutants, mass transfer and exposure pathways of the
contaminants, human and environmental toxicology, and
methodologies for risk assessment.

The course will also involve several case studies of remediation

technology applications with a focus on understanding how human
and environmental risk is managed in a real life situation.

ESE5608 Heavy Metals in the 4 I ESE5608 Heavy Metals in the Environment

Environment Modular Credits: 4
Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Pre-requisite: ESE5003

Toxic metal ions have posted a great challenge to

environmental engineers and scientists as they cause many
serious pollution problems in water, soil and air.

The module begins with an overview of historical and

industrialized water pollution issues. The metal ion
chemistry will be taught. A series of mathematical models
aiming at description of metal ion distribution in various
natural systems will be presented. Students will learn
important treatment technologies such as precipitation, ion
exchange and adsorption.

Finally, case studies will be presented. This module is

targeted at level 4 environmental engineering students and
post-graduate students.

It is expected that the students after learning this module will

be able to design treatment systems for metal waste
screams as well as understand toxic metal transportation in
natural surface or subsurface systems.

ESE5901 Environmental Technology 4 II ESE5901 Environmental Technology

Modular Credits: 4
Workload: 3-0-0-0-7
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The proposed module replaces the module EX5104. Population

growth and economical development generate large quantities of
wastes and also place great pressures on the finite material and
energy resources of the earth. Raw materials are being used at a
faster rate than they are being replaced or available. Therefore,
proper management of environmental resources by applying
available and emerging environmental technologies in the
planning, design and operation activities are important in global
resource conservation and in environmental pollution control.
 Module Module Title MC Semester Brief Description
Code

ESE6001 Environmental Fate of Organic Contaminants

ESE6001 Environmental Fate of
Organic Contaminants
4 I Modular Credits: 4
Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): Graduate student standing
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This module examines fundamental principles that govern

transformation and fate of organic contaminants in natural and
engineered systems. Thermodynamic principles and molecular
properties are used throughout the module to develop predictive
relationships for the solubility of organic contaminants, partitioning
between environmental phases, sorption to solid surfaces, and
transformation processes.

ESE6301 Topics in Environmental Technology

ESE6301 Topics in Environmental 4 II Modular Credits: 4
Technology
Workload: 3-0-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to introduce students the essential tool for

understanding and designing microbiological processes used for
environmental protection and improvement.

This course will enable students to expand their background of

environmental biotechnology, and to integrate these aspects into
the physical and chemical aspects of environmental technology
previously learned. The major topics include aspects on foundation
in microbiology and engineering principles, major environmental
biological applications, quantitative analysis of biotechnology,
detoxification of hazardous chemicals, clean technology, and
resource biorecovery in environmental monitoring.

Information is correct as @ 15 Jul 2015. CEE reserves the right to update in short notice.